


Father and Son, Together Again Minific

by hella_gent



Category: Lego Ninjago
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Garmadon is still cool, Gen, I fix everything, Lloyd is happy, now featuring angst maybe?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-10
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-13 19:43:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11767014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hella_gent/pseuds/hella_gent
Summary: Samukai retrieved the Sword of Fire in the Fire Temple, creating a portal for Garmadon into Ninjago, instead of the unbalanced realm. Here, he is finally reunited with his lost, wandering son.A fix-it series of mostly drabbles revolving around Garmadon raising Lloyd





	1. Time to go Home

**Author's Note:**

> i decided to put these all into a fic because its kinda got a basic plot line and it would be weird to post just plot drabbles by themselves. the old series will be deleted after I finish up the next chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the ninja left him hanging on the shop corner, all Lloyd could do was cry

There was no way to stop the tears at this point. 

Since the ninja had shown up and hung him up on the shop corner, he'd spent all day watching people buy the candy he had wanted. Now all the candy was gone and it was getting dark. 

Everybody left, and he was left alone, stuck hanging by the hood of his coat.

Lloyd let his head fall and cried.

He didn't stop when he heard footsteps in the alleyway, and he didn't stop when he was taken down and held tight. When whoever it was asked him to stop, _“shh, you're alright, you're safe, no need to cry”_ he just couldn't stop.

The other let him go and stood him up, wiping his tears and trying to check for injuries.

“Lloyd, are you hurt? Who did this?”

He tried to respond, but he just kept crying. Something about that voice made his chest feel weird and he rushed into their embrace again. 

There was no more talking, just a tight grip around him and a long, long walk. At least, he thought it might have been long; he might have dozed off, but he couldn't remember.

What he did remember was being brought into a small, softly lit house far off from Jamanakai Village. He was laid down on the couch and he heard that voice softly say, “Stay right there, okay? I’ll make you something, you've got to be starving.”

Lloyd Garmadon woke the next morning to a half eaten bowl of cereal and his dad, big, dark, and four-armed, kneeling beside him as he slept.


	2. New Routines

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lloyd and Garmadon are finally beginning to settle

They got into a routine very quickly. Every night Garmadon would make dinner for them and they would eat on the back porch. When it got dark they would come in and brush their teeth. 

Lloyd got a real kick out of his dad's toothbrush, and Garmadon got a kick out of his son's huge grin.

Their first few weeks together Lloyd insisted his dad check his bed before he got into it, and check his room in the morning for “booby traps”. Garmadon never questioned him or told him he was being silly, just swept his hand over the sheets until Lloyd would give the word and climb in.

Regardless of what he did to make him comfortable, Lloyd would, more often than not, climb into bed with his dad. Garmadon would watch him pull the blankets back on the corner of the bed and crawl up to the head of the bed under them, curling up against his side.

Garmadon had checks that he had to do some nights too. On those rare nights Lloyd would fall asleep in his own bed, the Dark Lord would wake up in the middle of the night and check on him. He'd kneel at the foot of his bed until his exhausted mind was assured his son was safe.

Lloyd wasn't wandering Ninjago any longer. He had gone to bed with a full stomach and was sleeping in a warm bed. Nobody could hurt him, or “booby trap” him, or make him feel bad; he was safe.


	3. A Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was only a matter of time until he found them, Garmadon knew this

The house was quiet. Lloyd was playing on the back porch, digging in the mud and making mud pies. Garmadon stayed in the kitchen, catching glances of him as he read at the table.

Maybe that was why the knock at the door startled him, shattering the air of peace. Garmadon already had a feeling who it was and left Lloyd to play as he went to answer it. 

Sure enough, his brother stood on the doorstep, as old and shriveled up as ever. He wore a stupid looking smile as he peered at anything and everything he could see. Garmadon stepped past him and closed the door, cutting off his view.

“What do you want?” He hissed.

“A little bird said you had a house,” Wu explained, “I was curious to see how you had settled down.” 

Garmadon chuckled, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms. “As if I could ever settle down.”

“You did once.”

“That was then; this is now.”

“You look pretty settled down to me.”

“Well I'm not, I'm as evil as ever.”

“Tell that to your pristine flower beds.”

“Enough of this!” Garmadon snarled, throwing his hands up. “What is it that you're really here for?” 

“Yeah, what are _you_ here for?”

“Lloyd!” Both looked down to the little blonde by his dad's hip, fists brown and clutching handfuls of worms. He looked ready to throw them before Garmadon put a hand on his head. Lloyd scowled and let them fall.

“It's good to see you home and safe again, Lloyd.” Wu smiled. Garmadon suddenly let out a bark of rage that had the other two jump.

“When I returned I found him _hanging from a shop corner!_ If you really cared for the well being of my son, you would have helped him long before then.”

Garmadon chased him off the porch, snarling after him. “And don't let me see you or your blasted ninja anywhere near my son or I’ll-” He snapped his jaw shut, turning back to his wide-eyed son on the porch.

He took a deep breath, composing himself. Garmadon scooped his son up and gave him a big kiss the cheek. The heavy silence was broken by his sweet giggles.


	4. Influences

Lloyd had fallen into a strict schedule as of late. Teeth were brushed at 8:30, stories were read, and Lloyd was passed out in bed by 9. He was sleeping in his own bed all night now, a big improvement from sleeping with his dad nearly every night. 

When that dark voice started whispering to him, Garmadon could find no reason to turn it down.

He could hear the ninja over the wailing of the alarm and melted into the shadows. In most circumstances he would be undetectable, but the bags he carried jingled and clinked and they knew exactly where he was in his escape. That didn’t stop the laugh that started bubbling up.

Garmadon’s blood ran cold when a lighter voice echoed him.

He skidded to a halt just as Lloyd, his son, who he had left tucked in safe at home, joined his side at the end of the alleyway.

“Lloyd! What are you-”

There was no time, the ninja were closing in fast. Garmadon dropped the money beside his son and turned to shield them both, raising his katana.

No luck. The ninja took immediate notice of Lloyd.

“What is _he_ doing here-?”

“Didn’t think you would need to call reinforcements, Garmadon-”

“I thought we’d seen the last of _you_ -”

Garmadon only had an instant to wonder what _that_ meant before Lloyd was running past him, brandishing a slingshot and a handful of coins. Before he could eben pull it back his father had snatched from his hands.

“No, dad! I can help! I wanna help!”

Garmadon fell onto one knee, taking his son’s little hands in his, looking horribly upset.

“No, Lloyd, you shouldn’t be here. You don’t need to be like me!”

“But I wanna be like you, dad!” Lloyd pulled away and grinned wide. “I can help you take down the ninja, really! Then we can rule Ninjago together!”

It was everything his dad had strived for. To eliminate the ninja and anyone who tried to stand against him. To create Ninjago into his image and finally live life with his family.

Instead, Garmadon looked stricken. His eyes were wide and wet, mouth open as if to speak, but no words came. He stood solemnly, picked up his son, and left. He turned his back on the money, on the ninja, on everything, and just walked.

The trip home was silent. His dad’s sudden silence scared him. He fidgeted and picked at his fingers, stealing quick glances up. Garmadon didn’t look down, keeping his gaze ahead with an expression that he couldn’t describe.

Inside, the Dark Lord sat his son down in his recliner. He took a deep breath, steadying himself, then turned away. He disappeared down the hallway to his room. Lloyd’s fear grew. Garmadon returned after a short moment with his blankets and pillows. He dumped them in a heap beside the couch. He spoke then, softly, calling his son over to him.

The cushions on the couch were rearranged, draped in silk sheets and filled with blankets and pillows. He’d never built a pillow fort before, and in most cases the idea of building one with his dad was the best idea, but they were both silent. Lloyd still fretted over the sudden change, but Garmadon continued to speak softly to him, telling him where to put what.

Finally, Garmadon took off his helmet and crawled inside. He held the blanket for the door open while Lloyd joined him, and Garmadon pulled him into his lap.

“I think it’s time I told you a story.”

In that same, soft tone, he told the story of two brothers. They were just around Lloyd’s age and were inseparable. The elder looked out for the younger, always. But one day, something changed between them.

Turning over his hand, Garmadon offered it to his son. Lloyd brushed his own over it, feeling the twin scars.

“When I passed over the wall to fetch his katana, I was bitten by an ancient snake. It’s venom slowly worked its way through me and began to corrupt me. Even now, it tries to make me do evil.”

“Like tonite?” said Lloyd quietly.

“Like tonite, yes.”

Garmadon lifted his son to face him.

“I can’t always refuse, but _you can_. You don’t need to be like me, and I certainly don’t expect you to. I-...” He struggled for a moment before he could continue, voice strained, “I want you to do g… great things. You’ll do great things, son.”

Lloyd rushed forward and Garmadon held his son close.


End file.
